Promise Me This
by MellieGrant6758
Summary: Mellie and Fitz decide to go their separate ways, but will they stay apart? Or will fate bring them back together?
1. Chapter 1

Fitz sat across from Mellie, and he just stared at her in awe. She was the kind of woman that made your heart skip a couple beats no matter what she was doing. She could take anyone's breath away. She had a smile that was radiant and contagious. Fitz knew he had screwed up their marriage beyond repair, but he never thought he'd be here with her; sitting across from each other and letting their lawyers do the talking. Mellie was getting the house in the Hamptons and the house in Virginia. Fitz was getting the Santa Barbara ranch. Mellie hadn't wanted it, and Fitz didn't either, but one of them had to take it. He planned to sell it because he'd see Mellie and Jerry everywhere he looked.

"Fitzgerald, are you going to answer?" Mellie asked somewhat agitated. Fitz could hear her southern accent coming out due to her agitation.

"Sorry. What was the question?"

"How about we take a short break?" Mellie's lawyer suggested.

"Sounds great," Mellie said and quickly left the room.

Mellie had to get out of there. She couldn't breathe. She felt like she was suffocating. She had been the one to ask for the divorce because it had to be done. Mellie knew it was time to stop putting herself through hell to save a marriage that was beyond repair. She was still staying at the White House, so no one knew her and Fitz were getting divorced. She slept in their room, and Fitz slept on the couch in the living room.

Mellie saw Fitz walk out of the conference room on his phone. He was probably telling Olivia that in a couple weeks, she could move in. The thought of Olivia sleeping in her bed with her husband brought tears to her eyes. Mellie had to sit down on the leather couch in the lobby of the law firm before she fell.

"Mels! Are you okay? Can I get you anything?" Mellie couldn't handle him being so sweet to her. She didn't understand why he was being so nice now.

"I'm fine," Mellie mumbled.

"I'll get you some water."

"I said I'm fine, Fitzgerald."

"Mellie, you asked for this. Not me."

"I asked for this because it was time I saved myself. I couldn't keep watching you be happy with someone else in private while we were miserable together, and then pretend like we're happy in public. It was killing me, and you didn't care enough to notice."

"Mellie…"

"Don't."

"If you'd give me a chance to speak, you would let me tell you that I haven't been with Olivia in months."

"What?"

"I ended it a while ago."

"Why?"

"Because I realized I didn't want it anymore. I tried to use her as an out. I thought being with her could fix what was wrong with us. I was a coward," before Mellie could answer, her lawyer walked out.

"Are you two ready to continue?"

"Actually, we need to go. We will call when both of our schedules are open," Fitz said and started to walk towards the door.

"Mellie, are you coming?" Mellie nodded and slowly got up. Fitz held the door open for her, and they silently walked out.

"Fitz, why did you tell them we had something to do? We cleared our schedules today," Mellie asked as she looked out the window of the car.

"Because you wanted out of there just as much as I did."

"I would've been fine. I'll get through all of this somehow."

"Mellie, I think we should talk about all of this before we actually continue to go through with it."

"What is there left to talk about?"

"I want us to work this out. I'll do anything."

"We can't erase the past. We have both done things that are unforgivable."

"I'm not saying we erase the past. I'm saying we move forward. Together."

"Fitz, if you're having problems with Olivia, I'm sure you two can work through it."

"Mellie, I told you I ended it with her. For good."

"I don't know if I believe you."

"I understand why you wouldn't."

Mellie didn't talk the rest of the drive back to the White House. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if this was another one of Fitz's games. She wanted to believe him, but she knew if she did, she would only get hurt again. Mellie loved him with every piece of herself, but he somehow found a way to throw that love back in her face each and every time. She didn't know if she could survive another round of it.

"Mellie, we're home," Fitz said as he was getting out of the car.

Mellie wordlessly got out and followed him inside. Fitz went straight to the oval to check on a couple things, and Mellie went to go find Teddy. She walked to his room and found him taking his afternoon nap. Mellie stood in the doorway and watched him sleep for a few minutes. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. Teddy was a happy child, but lately he had been acting out. Mellie figured he sensed the tension between his parents.

Mellie knew she needed to make a decision about Fitz. They couldn't keep putting the divorce off until she made up her mind. She had to do it now. Mellie walked to her room and changed into comfier clothes. Once she changed, she went out to the balcony to think. It was the quietest place in the entire house.

"You're thinking too much. I can see it in your face. You're going to give yourself a migraine," Fitz said as he sat next to her.

"Well I need to think right now."

"Talk to me. What's going through your mind?"

"I think it would be best if we went through with the divorce. Too much has happened since we moved into this house. Even before we moved here, but the worst has happened here. I don't want to wake up every day wondering if you're going to walk out on me again. I can't live like that, and I don't want to. We both deserve a fresh start," Mellie replied with such honesty that Fitz was silent for a few minutes.

"I love you, Mellie. I always will."

"I love you too. Always have, always will. Maybe someday we'll find what we once had again, but I think we need to spend some time apart. We need to figure out how to be alone again before we ever become involved with each other or someone else again," Fitz nodded with understanding.

"Make me a promise."

"Depends on what you expect me to promise you," Mellie laughed with uncertainty.

"Five years from now if neither of us has found anyone else, promise me we'll give us another chance," Mellie thought for a minute before she responded.

"Okay."

"Okay."

They looked at each other and smiled. Mellie leaned her head on his shoulder, and Fitz pulled her into his arms knowing that this would be the last time he would get to hold her. Mellie curled into him, and Fitz wished that they could back to the beginning and start over. He knew that even though they were getting divorced, they'd find each other again someday. He was sure of it. He'd never loved anyone the way that he loved Meliie. He loved Olivia to a point, but it wasn't the kind of love that would last.

"Do you think we would've made it if I hadn't shut you out after the rape?" Mellie asked quietly.

"I'd like to think we would've, but that wasn't the only thing that ruined us, Mel. I was too caught up in my own issues to see that you were hurting. All I did was yell at you back then, and for that, I will always be sorry. We'll finish going through the divorce, and learn how to be on our own. I don't remember what it's like to not depend on someone else. I've always had you or someone else to take care of me. I need to take care of myself."

"And I need to do the same."

"Mellie, you've been taking care of yourself since I met you. You've never needed anyone to take care of you. You're so much stronger than I am. I hope you know that," Mellie smiled up at him, and she kissed him softly on the lips.

"I'm going to miss you. Part of me thinks I'm making the wrong call," Mellie sighed.

"And the other part?"

"The other part of me knows that we need this," Fitz nodded, and Mellie got up.

"Where are you going?" Fitz asked.

"I'm going to start packing. I'm the one that needs to move, and I think it's time we told the press."

The next day, Mellie and Fitz sat in front of Kimberly Mitchell. They were telling the world that they were ending their marriage. Kimberly seemed to be shocked with how calm the two were with each other. Neither of them were angry or upset. They both appeared to be very at peace with their decision.

"Why now? Why not when you told the world that your husband had an affair, Mrs. Grant?"

"I'm not the kind of woman that runs from her problems. There was a problem, and I intended to stay and fix it. Fitz having an affair isn't the reason for our divorce. We both made mistakes in our marriage, and we both decided that it was time for us to go our separate ways."

"You seem so calm and okay with all of this. To be honest, I'm kind of shocked," Kimberly said. Mellie and Fitz shared a look, and Fitz nodded at Mellie to answer.

"I'm going to be honest and say that living in this house is by no means a bed of roses. Being President and First Lady of the United States has caused a major strain on our marriage due to that fact that any issue we have is publicized. We also never have time for each other. My husband is a remarkable president, and I believe he will leave a legacy after his last three years as president. We've both talked extensively about what we want, and where we want to be later on down the road. We still love each other deeply, but love isn't enough."

"Mr. President, you have been awfully quiet. You've been letting your wife answer everything. Does that mean you aren't okay with all of this?" Fitz chuckled and waited a minute to answer.

"Yes, my wife is the one that asked for the divorce, and yes, I have been letting her answer the questions because my wife is much better with words than I am. She wasn't lying when she said we have talked this through, and we both agree that this is the right decision. My wife is an incredible woman, and she is the love of my life, but she's right. Love isn't enough. We wouldn't be sitting here today explaining to the world why we decided to end our marriage if we weren't the President and First Lady because honestly, no one would care. What goes on between my wife and I is exactly that; between my wife and I," Fitz stated. Mellie was proud of his response, and she grabbed his hand to let him know how proud she was.

"What about your duties as First Lady? Will you continue doing them?"

"Of course. I intend to still do my part in the White House."

"Well thank you for sitting down with me. I wish you both the best," Kimberly smiled at the two of them.

"Thank you as well, Kimberly."

Mellie and Fitz both walked to their room, and Fitz watched Mellie pack some more. She could've had her aids pack for her, but she insisted she do everything herself.

"Since your new house isn't far from here, would you mind bringing Teddy here a few nights a week?"

"Of course I don't mind. I'm not going to keep him away, but he'll be here with the nanny on the days I'm working here anyway."

"That's true. We can each have him half of the week."

"I might actually miss living here," Mellie sighed as she sat down next to him.

"It'll take some getting used to not having you around. Who's going to pick out my tie?"

"Oh, Fitzgerald, I can still pick out your damn ties. I will be here just about every day," Mellie laughed at how needy he was.

"I can do it for the most part, but for big dinners, and important meetings, feel free to come up here and lay out an appropriate one," Fitz smiled at her. He wasn't going to let her get away. He was going to do everything in his power to win her back one day.


	2. Chapter 2

*Four Years Later*

Mellie walked around the house looking for Teddy's overnight bag while she was also trying to talk on the phone. Teddy was yelling something from upstairs, but Mellie couldn't hear him. The doorbell rang, and Mellie groaned with frustration. She was stressed out, and she was thankful that Fitz was taking Teddy an extra night. She went to answer the door, and waved Fitz in. Fitz saw she was on the phone, so he didn't say anything.

"Honey, I have to go. Your dad is here to pick up Teddy. Yes, I know. Don't worry. It's not a big deal. I will call you later," Mellie hung up the phone and sat down on the couch.

"Everything alright?" Fitz asked curiously.

"Karen is just having a meltdown because she'll be arriving here about twenty minutes before the rehearsal dinner because she has an exam that day, and she had to book a later flight."

"How are the wedding plans going?"

"I'm stressed to the max between those, and work. Will isn't much help with the wedding plans because he tells me to just choose what I want, but this is supposed to be what we want. It's so frustrating. You were so much help when we got married. I guess I just expected more from Will," Mellie smiled sadly.

"You can't keep comparing him to me, Mellie. If you do that, you're never going to be happy. Obviously we didn't work, so maybe it's a good thing that the wedding is already going differently."

"Enough about me. How are you and Emily doing?"

"I'm thinking about breaking up with her. I like her, but I don't see us going anywhere. She wants more than I can give her," Fitz looked down at the ground avoiding Mellie's eyes. It physically pained him to see her marrying someone else, but he was doing his best to be happy for her. It would be a lot easier if he knew she was truly happy.

"I see. I should keep looking for Teddy's bag. I have no idea what he did with it."

"I'll help. I'll go look upstairs, and you keep looking down here," Fitz said and went to look upstairs.

He started in Teddy's room with no luck. Teddy must have given up looking because he found Teddy sitting in Mellie's room watching tv. Teddy didn't even notice Fitz walk into the room.

"Hey, buddy. We're still trying to find your bag."

"Mom and I were looking, but I got tired and wanted to watch tv."

"Did you look in here at all?" Teddy shook his head, so Fitz looked around the room. He walked into Mellie's walk-in closet and had to resist the urge to yell when he saw Will's suits hanging across from Mellie's clothes. As Fitz was turning to leave, he found Teddy's bag next to Mellie's dresser. He walked out, and saw that Teddy was gone.

"Mel! I found it!"

"You don't need to shout, honey. I'm right here," Mellie said before she realized what she said. She stood there silent for a minute. She hadn't slipped up like that in years.

"Uh, well we better get going," Fitz said as he heard a door downstairs open. They both heard Will on the phone, and Fitz started to go downstairs.

"Teddy, sweetheart, it's time to go," Mellie said as she walked into the kitchen. Fitz saw Mellie kiss Will on the cheek, and he didn't even glance in her direction. Fitz had to restrain himself from going in there and punching the idiot in the face. Will finally got off the phone and noticed Fitz.

"Fitzgerald," Will said and nodded in Fitz's direction.

"William," Fitz replied, and Mellie rolled her eyes.

"Theodore! Let's go! Your dad isn't going to wait on you all night!" Mellie yelled. She just wanted to get them out the door before Will and Fitz decided to start picking at each other.

The three of them stood there silently waiting for Teddy. The silence was uncomfortable, and Mellie looked at Fitz to apologize. He nodded before she even said a word. He knew what she was trying to say. Mellie missed that. Her and Will weren't nearly as in sync as she was with Fitz. Will got another phone call, and left the room.

Mellie had met Will at a dinner party she had to attend for another senator's birthday about a year and a half after her divorce. He was sweet and charming, and he asked her out almost as soon as he saw her. Mellie was floored by his boldness, and she agreed to go out with him. They dated for almost two years before he proposed. Mellie was comfortable with him, so she said yes. She loved him in a way, but she didn't think she was truly in love with him. After they moved in together, Mellie noticed he wasn't as willing to give her attention. He wasn't home often, and when he was, he was usually working. He worked for the largest law firm in D.C, so he was often in the middle of a big case.

Teddy finally made his way downstairs, and Mellie sighed with relief. Being around Fitz was still too much for her sometimes. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she missed him. She knew her marrying Will had hurt him, but Mellie didn't think she could handle being with Fitz ever again.

"Well we will see you later, Mels. I'll have him back here Sunday evening."

"Sounds good. Bye sweetheart! I love you!" Mellie hugged Teddy and kissed his head.

"Bye mommy. Don't forget to get fruit snacks when you go to the store tomorrow. We're all out," Teddy stated as he walked out the door.

"Bye, Fitz."

"Bye, Mel."

Mellie walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. By the time she finished what she had to do tonight, she'd probably finish the whole bottle. Mellie grabbed her laptop and her wine and sat at the table.

"Mels, huh?" Mellie looked up confused to see Will leaning against the doorway.

"What?" Mellie didn't understand what he was saying. He had never called her anything but Mellie the whole time they had been together.

"He called you Mels and Mel all in a span of two minutes."

"And?"

"Seriously? He's using nicknames for you, Mellie."

"William, don't use that tone with me."

"Then don't act like this isn't an issue."

"You're acting like a child. We were together for almost twenty years. He hardly ever called me anything other than Mels or Mel."

"I've never heard him ever call you either of those."

"Maybe that's because you're never here, or when you are, you have your nose buried in your phone."

"I am too here! I live here!"

"The keyword there is live. Yes, you live here, but half the time you aren't home until almost eleven, and I understand that you're busy with work, but you never call to say you'll be late. You don't ever text throughout the day. For shits sake, you don't even ask how I'm doing, or if I need help with anything for the wedding."

"Mellie, the wedding is your thing. I don't know anything about…" Mellie cut him off by holding up her hand.

"The wedding is my thing?" Mellie had to close her eyes and take a deep breath.

"Yes!"

"WE ARE BOTH GETTING MARRIED. YOU AND ME. NOT JUST ME, WILLIAM."

"Mellie, calm down," Will started to continue, but Mellie had had enough.

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

"Mellie, just take a deep breath. Let's talk about this."

"I am done talking. You can sleep on the couch tonight."

"But, Mellie, I was hoping," Mellie turned around quicker than a snow cone melting in hell.

"Hoping what? That I would have sex with you?"

"Mellie, we haven't in a while, and I miss you."

"If you missed me, maybe you'd come home for dinner once in a while. You thinking I would have sex with you after all of this makes me want to chuck this laptop at your face, but I like my laptop too much for that. I am going to bed. Please be gone for work before I get up," Mellie said as she went up the stairs.

"Mellie, I don't have any clothes down here. Can I come upstairs for five minutes?" Before Will could get an answer, Mellie threw clothes for bed, work, and his bathroom stuff over the edge. It all landed at his feet. He looked up with astonishment. He heard Mellie slam the door to their room, and he just stood in the middle of room.


	3. Chapter 3

Mellie had ignored Will's existence for the last few days. She wasn't even sure if she still wanted to marry him, but she continued on with the wedding plans. Will was at his office, and Mellie was expecting Fitz with Teddy soon. Mellie was almost done with dinner when Teddy came running into the kitchen.

"Hi, mommy! Today daddy and I went to a water park!"

"Did daddy remember to put sunscreen on you because you look burnt Teddy bear," Mellie looked up to see a guilty Fitz walk in the door.

"I'm so sorry, Mel. I put it on him when we got there, but we were there all day, and I should have reapplied it," Fitz felt horrible for letting Teddy get burnt.

"Fitz, it's not a bad burn. It's okay," Mellie laughed at how upset Fitz seemed.

"I feel bad though," Fitz sighed and leaned against the counter.

"I'll put some aloe on it, and it will be better soon. Are you guys hungry?"

"Um, Mellie."

"Yes, Fitz?"

"Where's Will?"

"Work I guess."

"Everything alright?"

"No, but I don't really want to talk about it right now," Mellie said quietly.

"Don't get back at him by having me eat dinner here."

"Fitzgerald, I asked if you guys were hungry. It's not that deep," Mellie laughed.

"I could eat."

"Good because dinner is ready."

Fitz helped Teddy wash his hands for dinner, and Mellie set the table. They all quietly ate dinner, and Teddy looked around confused a couple times.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Are you and Will not getting married? Are you and daddy back together?" Mellie's eyes got wide, and Fitz almost spit out the wine he just drank.

"Sweetheart, your dad is just having dinner with us. That's it."

"Where's Will?"

"He's at work."

"Okay. Well are you still getting married?" Mellie was opened her mouth to say yes, but she thought first.

"I don't know, honey."

The rest of dinner was eaten in silence. Fitz didn't want to ask Mellie what happened, and Mellie didn't want to talk about it. Mellie didn't finish her dinner, so she went to the kitchen to clean up. Fitz followed shortly after.

"Would you mind taking Teddy back with you tonight? I need to talk to Will, and if it's anything like the other night, I don't want Teddy to hear it."

"Mellie, what happened?"

"It all started because he heard you call me Mels, and he didn't like it. I blew up. I had enough. I've done a lot of thinking the last two days, and I'm going to ask him to move out. I can't keep doing this with him. I see him less than I see you, and he lives here. If I'm honest with myself, I know that I'm not in love with him. He was just the easy choice to make. Life with him would've been safe comfortable."

"You deserve someone better than him."

"Like who? You?"

"No. You deserve way more than I ever gave you, Mellie. You deserve someone that doesn't treat you like a doormat."

"Thank you, Fitz."

"You don't have to thank me, Mel. It's the truth. I should go. I'll go tell Teddy that I'm taking him to a movie."

"I appreciate it."

Fitz nodded and walked out of the kitchen. After they left, Mellie went upstairs and started packing all of Will's things. He really didn't have much; mainly just clothes and shoes. Mellie had all of his things packing in two hours. She carried it all down to the living room, and she poured herself a glass of wine. She sat on the couch with her wine while she waited for him to grace her with his presence.

Mellie went through almost an entire bottle before he walked in. He didn't notice all of his stuff in boxes until he looked up from his phone and saw Mellie looking at her wine glass.

"Mellie, what's going on?"

"What's going on? You're leaving my house is what's going on. Your ring is in one of the boxes somewhere. You can stay here tonight if you must, but I don't want to see you here after tomorrow morning. I have already called to have the locks changed, and the password to the garage is being changed tomorrow as well. I'm not in love with you, Will. You need someone that loves you. You aren't in love with me either. If you were, you would make more of an effort to come home on time. You would want to come home early. Give that ring to someone that really wants it," Mellie grabbed the wine bottle, and started to walk upstairs.

"Mellie, for what it's worth, I do love you. I'm not very good at showing it, but I do. I understand what you're saying. In a way, I've been doing almost the same thing that Fitz did. I'm sorry for everything."

"Me too," Mellie said quietly.

"I'll go stay at a hotel tonight."

"No. It's late. Just stay here. You're always up before I am anyway. Goodnight, Will."

"Goodnight, Mellie."

Mellie spend the next couple days canceling everything and making the phone calls to everyone that had been invited. It was a pretty long list, but she didn't want to make her assistant do all her dirty work. Mellie wasn't that upset about calling off the wedding and making Will move out. The only thing she missed was having someone to sleep next to at night. Mellie had just finished talking to her mom when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," Mellie said without looking up.

"Hi, Senator Grant. I'm the current chief of staff for the President."

"Right. Isaac Scott. I completely forgot about our meeting. Sit down. What is it you needed to talk about?"

"Well, I'm just a messenger right now. President Cromwell would like to see you in the oval as soon as possible."

"And you had to make a special trip to the hill just to let me know that the President wants to see me?" Mellie chuckled.

"I offered to come get you myself. Does right now work for you?"

"I haven't even had lunch yet, Mr. Scott."

"I haven't either. We can grab some on the way. My treat, and call me Isaac," Isaac flashed her a charming smile that she knew must help him get his way often.

"Well, I guess I have no choice, Isaac. You're quite charming, but you know that don't you?"

"Yes, I do, Senator Grant."

"It's Mellie."

"Well, Mellie, where would you like to go to lunch?"

"Wherever you lead, I'll follow," Mellie gave him a dazzling smile of her own. Isaac put his hands in his pockets and looked down. Mellie Grant had just taken his heart with that smile of hers.


	4. Chapter 4

After Mellie had lunch with Isaac Scott, she went to the meeting with the President. Mellie had a wonderful time at lunch. Isaac was funny, smart, charming, and not to mention incredibly good looking. Mellie sat down with the President eager to know why he asked her to come to the White House. He informed her that the current Vice President was suffering from a severe health decline, and he intended to step down. Mellie didn't understand why he was telling her all of this. She didn't know why she was there until it dawned on her.

"You need another VP," Mellie said for him.

"I need another VP," the President nodded.

"Matthew Cromwell, are you asking me to be your Vice President?"

"Mellie, we've known each other a long time. You were the top of our class in every school we were in together. You're brilliant. I truly believe that no one is a better fit. I would've chosen you as a running mate to begin with, but you needed the time as senator. What do you say?"

Mellie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had known Matthew since they were kids. The both grew up in Nashville, and they had been good friends all through school. They grew apart once they were both married, but Mellie still considered him to be a close friend.

"Your wife doesn't like me, Matt. She never has, and I don't want to cause problems like the ones that occurred during college."

"Stephanie does like you, Mellie. She used to view you as a threat in college because of how close we were. We're all adults now. I wouldn't let my wife dictate who I chose to be VP anyway, but she thinks you're a wonderful choice."

"Well then I'm in. This is an offer I could never refuse," Mellie felt happier than she had in years.

"We'll make the announcement tomorrow morning. I'm glad you've agreed, Mel. We have always worked well together. Back in law school, no one could stop us. We're going to do great things."

"I can't wait," Mellie beamed at him.

"Oh, Isaac mentioned you two went to lunch. He's a good guy. He would be good for you. I'm sorry about you and Will though. You could do better than him, honestly. He seemed very self-involved. Isaac is single, been married once, no kids, and he's quite the charmer, but I'm assuming you already knew that if you went to lunch with him."

"Matthew, I just broke off an engagement to a man I've been with for over two years. I'm not about to rush into another relationship, and quit trying to set me up with him," Mellie laughed.

"Give it time. You will be seeing a lot of Isaac now, so you'll see what I mean eventually," Matthew smirked, and Mellie shook her head. She said goodbye and left. As she was walking down the familiar halls of the White House, she ran right into Isaac.

"Mellie," Isaac smiled at her.

"Isaac, it's nice to see you again."

"You too. How was the meeting with the President?"

"Fantastic. I'm glad I was his pick."

"As am I. I chose you as well. Most of us did. Everyone agreed after a quick discussion. You belong in office."

"I'm honored. Sorry to rush off, but I do still have to do my job as the senator of Virginia for a while longer. I have a meeting soon."

"Would you like to grab dinner sometime?"

"Isaac, you're great, but I just broke off my engagement a few days ago. I don't want to be jumping into another relationship."

"All I asked for was dinner, Mellie. I know you and Will just broke up. It's been all over the news. Just have dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow is my night with Teddy. Fitz doesn't have him again until Sunday night."

"So let's have dinner on Sunday."

"You're persistent."

"So is that a yes?"

"Yes," Mellie couldn't believe she had just agreed to go out on a date this soon.

"I'll pick you up at eight," Mellie nodded and said goodbye. She walked out of the White House and called Fitz.

"Mellie? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is great! Perfect! Amazing!"

"What happened?"

"I'm stepping into replace Jackson Wright as VP!"

"Mellie, that is amazing! I heard rumors about him stepping down soon due to health issues. I'm glad Matthew chose you. I'm happy that you're finally getting your turn. You deserve it."

Mellie and Fitz talked until Mellie got back to her office. She couldn't believe she was going to be Vice President of the United State. She knew some people in America wouldn't think she was ready, but she would prove them wrong.

A few nights later, Mellie picked up Teddy from the babysitter. He was in almost as good of a mood as she was. Ever since the announcement about her becoming Vice President went out, Mellie couldn't stop smiling. Mellie would be moving into her office at the White House at the end of the month.

"Mommy, can we get pizza tonight?" Teddy asked on the way home.

"Sure, sweetheart."

"Okay," Teddy said happily and went back to playing with his toy.

Teddy happily ate pizza that they picked on the way home. After they finished dinner, Mellie put on a movie, and Teddy curled up on Mellie's lap. She kissed his head, and after a few minutes, he was sound asleep. Mellie had to wake him up after the movie was over because he was getting too big for her to carry upstairs. He'd be turning seven soon, and Mellie didn't want her baby to keep growing up.

"Mommy, is it morning?"

"No, sweetheart. It's bed time."

"Okay, mommy," Teddy yawned. Mellie followed him upstairs.

Mellie walked to her room and sighed. She was still adjusting to sleeping alone. It was one of the worst things about living in the White House. She hated sleeping by herself while Fitz either slept in another room or slept at Olivia's. Mellie was about to go into the bathroom to take her makeup off her face. Mellie smiled when she saw it was Isaac.

"Mr. Scott, what can I do for you?"

"Well, Vice President Grant, I'm not particularly tired, and I was wondering what you were up to. I guess what I'm saying is that you were on my mind, and I wanted to talk to you," Mellie was taken aback by his honesty, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Mr. Scott, you do have such a way with words. I am currently getting ready for bed. Nothing exciting."

"It's ten at night, and you're already going to bed? What an exciting life you lead, Madame Vice President," Mellie grinned from ear to ear when he called her Madame Vice President. It sent a chill through her.

"Mr. Scott, I am a single mother, I have a meeting in the morning, and to be honest, I have nothing else to do. I'll probably put on my glasses and read a book."

"Glasses? Are you an old woman?" Isaac chuckled.

"So now I'm an old woman? Oh, how you wound me, Mr. Scott."

"I have glasses as well, my dear. I was just kidding. Tell me about yourself. What are you reading right now?"

"I am currently rereading Gone With The Wind. It's my favorite."

"How many times have you read it?"

"I'd say close to twenty."

"What's your favorite thing to do?"

"No, it's my turn. What's your favorite book?"

"That's too hard. I have too many. Ask me something else," Isaac couldn't help the smile that had been on his face since he had the pleasure of meeting Mellie Grant.

"Why did you and your wife get divorced? You seem too amazing for any woman to let go," Mellie asked with curiosity. She didn't know how any woman could give up the charming man she was on the phone with.

"I could say the same to you, but we got divorced because I wanted a family, and she didn't. When she told me she didn't, we got into a fight, and she slept with her boss. We got divorced, and she married the son of a bitch. Now they have three kids," Isaac said sadly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"I don't mind. Anything you want to know, just ask," Mellie was about to respond when she looked at the clock and realized it was almost midnight.

"As lovely as it has been to talk to you, I really should go to bed. I'm not a morning person."

"Well maybe I'll bring you coffee sometime to help make the morning better, but for now, goodnight Mellie."

"Goodnight, Isaac."

Mellie hung up the phone and smiled to herself. She couldn't help but laugh at the situation she was in. She really enjoyed having lunch and talking to Isaac. Something about him made her feel like she was on cloud nine.


	5. Chapter 5

Sunday night after Fitz picked up Teddy, Mellie went into her closet to decide what to wear. She and Isaac had talked on the phone every night since his first call, and he told her that a dress would be the right choice to wear to dinner. She stood in the middle of her massive closet and looked around. When she first bought the house, she had a contractor come in and expand her closet to fit all of the clothes she had. The closet alone was almost as big as her bedroom.

Mellie sat down in the middle of her closet and sighed. She shouldn't be stressing out this much about her date. She was actually looking forward to it if she was honest with herself. Mellie enjoyed talking to him every night. The second night they talked, Mellie fell asleep talking to him.

She ended up choosing a fitted red dress with a cut out in the back with black pumps. She was finishing her makeup when her doorbell rang. Mellie hurried downstairs to answer the door, and she opened it while she put her earrings in.

"Sorry, I'm running a little behind. Fitz was a little late picking up Teddy. I'll be ready soon," Mellie apologized.

"It's alright. Take your time."

"Do you want anything to drink?" Mellie said as she took a sip of her wine glass.

"What do you have?"

"Here. Finish this," Mellie handed him her wine glass.

"Yes ma'am," Isaac took the wine glass and finished it.

"I'll be right back."

"You look beautiful by the way," Isaac said as she started to go back upstairs.

"Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself," Mellie winked at him and turned back around.

Isaac took Mellie to a new restaurant downtown. They talked all throughout dinner and dessert. They stayed a little longer than necessary, but neither of them wanted to leave yet. Once they decided to leave the restaurant, they went for a walk.

"I had a nice time with you tonight," Mellie told him.

"I did too. I'd like to see you again, Mellie. I like you a lot. I really do."

"I like you too, but I don't want to rush into anything. Especially with me being VP now, I'll be under a microscope again. I am already, but being VP will make it worse. They'll say I'm moving on too fast."

"I understand. I'm willing to wait," Isaac said as they arrived back at his car, and he opened the door for her.

The drive back to Mellie's was mostly quiet. They were both content to just be together. Isaac pulled into her driveway, but he didn't want leave her and go to his empty house yet.

"Do you want to come in for a drink?"

"I'd love to," Isaac was grateful for the offer.

"What would you like? I've got red, I've got white, shine and whiskey," Mellie said walking into the kitchen.

"I like the southern twang in your voice when you said shine and whiskey. It's cute."

"It's only cute until I'm pissed off, and then it comes out even more."

"I bet it's even better when you're angry," Mellie rolled her eyes and pulled out wine glasses.

"It's so quiet without Teddy here. I've been thinking about moving into a smaller house. This one is massive, and I don't need the space. I do love it though. I probably won't buy a smaller one, but I think about almost every time I'm here alone."

"I used to have a house about this size after the divorce, but I didn't love the house or need the space, so I sold it. I have smaller house not too far from here. It's not very small, but it's a lot smaller than the one I had."

"How long have you lived in D.C?"

"About fifteen years. I moved here after the divorce. During the campaign, I wasn't around much because I was Matthew's campaign manager. He used to work at the same law firm that I did back in the day, and when he wanted to run for president, he asked me to come out to North Carolina and help him out."

"Matt and I grew up together in Asheville."

"So I've heard. He loves talking about how great you are around me. I think he thinks he was setting us up."

"He did the same about you when I had the meeting with him, and the day I went to make the announcement with him. He's something else," Mellie chuckled. She walked to the living room, and Isaac followed. She sat down, kicked her heels off, and sighed with contentment.

"You make it seem like the best part of your day is taking those off."

"That and taking my bra off," Mellie shrugged, and Isaac almost spit out his wine when he laughed. "Too much non disclosure?"

"I admire your honesty, Mellie. It's cute."

"That is the second time you have called me cute. Cute is for puppies, dammit."

"Oh, is someone getting angry?"

"I'm not angry. I'm just simply saying that cute is for puppies. I am not cute. I'm fabulous. Maybe I've had too much to drink tonight," Mellie glanced at the bottle and saw that they had finished it. This was their second one tonight. They finished the first one at dinner, and Mellie realized they had a good amount of whiskey as well.

"I think we both have."

"You can't drive home after all this. You can sleep in one of the guest rooms, or you can sleep on the couch. I would offer to let you sleep in my bed, but this is our first date. Plus I don't really trust myself after all this wine."

"Mellie, I don't want to impose."

"Quit with that proper shit. You're staying here. End of story," Mellie started to get up, but she was a little unbalanced.

"Be careful."

"I'm good. I'm good. Follow me upstairs. I'll show you the guest room," Isaac did as he was told. She led him to a door towards the end of the hallway.

"Here you go. My room is right there if you need anything," Mellie said pointing at the door next to his.

"We have a meeting at nine tomorrow morning, remember? He wants you to meet the staffers, and start moving into your office too."

"Oh shit. Not our brightest idea to drink too much on a Sunday. I'll probably get up around seven or seven thirty. I can make breakfast if you want. Lord knows I'm going to need food to deal with whatever hangover I get. I honestly don't remember getting the whiskey out. Sorry. I'm rambling," Mellie said and realized she was awfully close to Isaac.

Mellie wasn't sure who leaned in first, but before she knew it, they were kissing. Mellie could feel his kiss all the way down to her toes. She didn't want to stop. Her head felt foggy, and all she could focus on was his lips on hers. She wanted to pull him closer, but she knew that they needed to stop.

Isaac had never experienced a kiss like the one he was sharing with Mellie. He could taste the wine on her lips and the whiskey on her tongue. She was more intoxicating to him than the alcohol. He wanted to take her into her room, and spend the rest of the night showing her how amazing she was, but now was not the time. She wasn't ready, and it was only their first date. They eventually had to pull apart for air. Isaac didn't realize that he had her pinned against the wall.

"Wow."

"Holy shit," Mellie whispered.

"We should both just go to bed now."

"I agree. There's a bathroom right across the hall if you need it," Mellie said, and she slipped away into her room. Isaac didn't know how much longer he stood there, but all he knew was that Mellie Grant was going to be the death of him.

The next morning Mellie woke up to a pounding headache and her alarm. She groaned and rolled over to cover her head. It was only seven. She could wait another half hour. Just as she felt like she was drifting off again, she heard what sounded like someone pounding on her door.

"WHAT," Mellie yelled.

"Mel, I'm really sorry to bother you, but do you have any medicine for a headache because I'm dying here, and it's almost eight."

"What?" Mellie jumped up and looked at her alarm clock. She must have fallen back asleep without realizing it.

"I woke up later than planned as well."

"There should be advil or Tylenol in my bathroom, and can you leave it out for me, please?" Mellie rushed into her closet to grab her robe. She had to get ready quickly, and she needed to get clothes on because she wasn't wearing much. Isaac didn't seem to notice, so she hurriedly walked into the bathroom to find him still in there. He was sitting on the edge of her tub with his head in his hands.

"Oh. Sorry. I'll get out of your way."

"It's not a problem," Mellie took the pills for her headache as Isaac slowly made his way out.

"I'm going to head home to shower and change. I'll bring you coffee and something to eat. I'll meet you at the White House around quarter till nine. Sound good?"

"Sounds excellent," Mellie gave him the best smile she could, and he left.

Mellie walked into the White House at the exact same time as Isaac. He handed her coffee and a muffin, and she moaned as she drank the coffee. Nothing had ever tasted so good.

"Thank you so much," Mellie was incredibly grateful. She wouldn't have had time to stop and get anything if she wanted to make it on time.

"You are very welcome. But do me a favor."

"What?"

"Don't make that sound again unless we're alone," Isaac winked at her, and Mellie stopped walking. She was caught off guard. Isaac turned around to look at her and smirked.

"Isaac Scott I could…"

"Could what?" He asked cutting her off.

"Oh never mind. Keep walking," Mellie hit him in the arm and kept walking.

Mellie and Isaac both walked into the room at the same time, and Matthew arrived right after them. He looked at the two of them and smiled.

"I see my work here is done," Matthew bowed in front of both of them.

"Mr. President, I have no clue what you're talking about," Mellie rolled her eyes at him and sat down.

"Still not a morning person, Mellie?"

"You know I'm not," Mellie gave him a glare, and he just smiled back at her.

The meeting started, and Mellie eventually started to brighten up. Once her headache was gone, she was in a perfect mood. The meeting wasn't very long. Matthew just introduced her to some of the aids and other staff members. Once they were done, Mellie walked to her soon-to-be office and sat in her chair. She couldn't believe she would officially be the Vice President in a week.

"You look very happy," Isaac said as he walked into her office.

"I am. Part of me is still in shock."

"I bet," Mellie's excitement was contagious. Isaac couldn't wait for her to become Vice President. He could see how happy it made her.

"I'm also slightly exhausted."

"Me too. When can we have dinner again?"

"I'm free Friday night."

"It's date, but this time, no alcohol. We don't need a repeat of today. I'll pick you up at eight again."

"I will see you then," Isaac left her office, and Mellie couldn't believe that she couldn't wait until Friday. Mellie left the White House to go to her office on the Hill, and she was incredibly happy. So much for taking things with Isaac slow.


	6. Chapter 6

The day Mellie was officially becoming Vice President, Isaac showed up with flowers and made her breakfast. They'd been on a few more dates since the first, and they had lunch together whenever their schedules were both open.

"You didn't have to come over and make me breakfast," Mellie gave him a quick kiss and grabbed a cup of coffee.

"It's a big day, and I know I didn't have to; I wanted to."

"Are you still coming over tonight? I bought popcorn, and I have wine," Mellie said trying to entice him into coming over after work.

"I don't know if either of us will be out of the White House at a decent time. Matt is trying to get that bill passed, and we have a lot of work to do with it. You still have to read it."

"First of all, I never once read a bill of Fitz's all the way through, and second of all, I've already started reading it. I'm about halfway through."

" You're ahead of the game! I like it. I should get going though. Matt asked me to come in earlier than usual. I'll see you there," Isaac kissed her goodbye and left.

Mellie walked into the White House and stopped in her office first. She saw a dozen roses sitting on her desk. She picked up the card expecting them to be from Isaac, but the card was signed with Fitz's name.

 _It's your turn. Have a great first day, Mel. – Fitz_

Mellie couldn't help but smile. Fitz knew how much she loved roses. Mellie was glad he thought ahead to have them sent over in a vase because she wouldn't have anything to put them in. She put the card from Fitz in a drawer, and as she closed it, Isaac walked in.

"Nice roses. Got another boyfriend?"

"I didn't know I had a boyfriend," Mellie and Isaac hadn't talked about what they were to each other, and Mellie wasn't sure if she was ready to tell the world she already had a boyfriend again.

"Who are the flowers from?" Isaac said ignoring what she said.

"Fitz."

"I see."

"Don't be mad," Mellie rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for another man that was going to get jealous of her ex husband.

"I'm not mad. Confused maybe."

"Why are you confused?"

"Because you say you didn't realize you had a boyfriend, and your ex husband is sending you roses."

"Roses are my favorite, and Fitzgerald was just trying to be nice. Please don't start with this. This is what caused issues between Will and I."

"Mellie, what are we? What am I to you?"

"Isaac, we're dating. Why are you making this such a big deal?"

"Because I like you. A lot. If you don't feel the same, tell me now before we get too far into this."

"Isaac, I like you too. You know that. Fitz was just being nice by sending me flowers. Don't make it into something more than what it is."

"Maybe I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I have some papers to look over, so I should get to work. Do you want to grab lunch later?"

"Yeah that sounds good. Do you want me to get something, and bring it to you?"

"No, I'll meet you at your office around one, and we can go get something."

"I'll see you at one," Isaac left, and Mellie leaned back in her chair and sighed. She didn't want to put up with this again. She hoped it was just a one-time thing with Isaac.

It was close to ten o'clock when they finally got to leave the White House. Isaac was following Mellie back to her place because they grabbed takeout after they left. He seemed to be in a much better mood, and he hadn't brought up Fitz or the flowers since their argument earlier in the day.

"I'll go grab something to drink. What do you want?" Isaac offered while Mellie got the food out.

"Just water please."

After dinner, they laid on the couch together and watched a movie. Mellie didn't realize how exhausted she was until she woke up around three, and she realized that they both had fallen asleep. Mellie felt Isaac stir, and she sat up.

"I should go home."

"It's three in the morning. Come upstairs. You can go home before work."

"Mellie…"

"I'm not saying come up there, and let's have sex, Isaac. Come upstairs, and let's go to sleep. If you want to stay down here on the couch, be my guest, but I am going to bed."

"Hey, don't get sassy. I'm right behind you."

He followed Mellie upstairs and to her room. Mellie walked into her bathroom, and Isaac just stood in the middle of her room. Mellie poked her head out of the bathroom and laughed at him.

"What?"

"You look lost. Come in here. I have an extra toothbrush."

After they were both done in the bathroom, Mellie walked into her closet to change into pajamas. Isaac started to take his shirt off when Mellie walked out.

"You might want to leave that on," Mellie said with wide eyes.

"Why?"

"Never mind. Proceed," Mellie mumbled waving her hands at him to continue.

"Mellie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Can we go to sleep yet?" Mellie yawned, and she just wanted to stop staring at his chest because he looked like something straight out of a magazine. Mellie crawled into bed, and Isaac got in beside her.

"Set your alarm for six."

"Already did. Goodnight, Isaac."

"Goodnight, Mel," Isaac kissed the top of her head, and they were both asleep right away.

The alarm went off, and Isaac and Mellie both groaned in unison. Neither of them moved at first, but Mellie knew she needed to get ready, and Isaac needed to go home and get ready. Mellie looked over at him to see that he had fallen back asleep.

"Isaac, it's time to get up," Isaac groaned and sat up. He looked around confused until he remembered they fell asleep on the couch, and Mellie made him stay over.

"What time is it?"

"Five after six. Get a move on," Mellie playfully shoved him. Before she knew it, he had her pinned down, and he was on top of her.

"Get a move on? It takes me about twenty minutes to get around to your hour and a half, so I will do as I damn well please Madam Vice President," Isaac leaned down to kiss her.

The kiss was slow at first. Neither of them intended for it to turn into something else. Mellie felt him deepen it, and suddenly, she was kissing him back with all the built up need and neglect she had from when she was Will. They were both trying to get Mellie's shirt off when they heard the front door slam.

"Mommy! Mommy, I need my family tree! Mommy, where are you? Daddy forgot to get it when he picked me up!" Isaac jumped off of Mellie, and they both sat there breathless for a second before Mellie grabbed her robe and went downstairs.

"Hi, honey. Oh, Fitz. Hi," Isaac got dressed and wasn't sure if he should wait in her room or go downstairs.

"Hey, Mellie. I saw there was another car here, but Teddy just ran past your agents and came in. I just came in to get him. I called you, but you didn't answer. Teddy said you were up at this time."

"It's fine. His project is right over here," Mellie walked into the dining room and Fitz followed. Teddy disappeared somewhere.

"Mellie, I have to go home. I'll see you at work," Isaac didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

"Hold on a second, Fitz. I'll walk you out, Isaac," Mellie and Isaac left Fitz standing alone in the dining room.

"I was going to just leave and not make things awkward, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"It's okay. Teddy is off somewhere, so he hasn't seen you, and Fitz shouldn't care. It's my life."

"Well, I'll see you in a little bit."

"Are we not going to talk about what almost happened?"

"Not right now while your ex husband is in the other room, and your son is roaming around, Mel. I'll see you later," he kissed her goodbye, and Mellie walked back to where Fitz was.

"Who was that?"

"Just a guy I've been seeing."

"Has Teddy met him?"

"Teddy has met him once at my office, but no I haven't had Isaac over while I have Teddy. We're not that serious."

"Serious enough to have him sleep over."

"Fitzgerald, if you must know, we fell asleep on the couch after a long day at the White House, and I didn't want to make him drive home at three in the morning. Last I checked, it wasn't any of your damn business anymore. You lost the right to know who I am or am not screwing when you screwed Olivia Pope."

"Mellie, we agreed we would tell each other when we were getting serious with someone else."

"I already told you that Isaac and I aren't that serious, but I forgot you only listen to what you want. You'd think that after almost twenty years of marriage, I'd remember that," Fitz was about to respond when Teddy walked into the room.

"Daddy, we have to go."

"Yes we do, buddy. Tell your mom goodbye, and you'll see her tomorrow," Teddy hugged and kissed Mellie goodbye. Fitz and Teddy left, and Mellie walked upstairs. She didn't understand why Fitz felt like he had a right to know about her life. She planned to tell Fitz about Isaac when it was more serious, but Fitz acted like they were still married. Fitz lost the right to ask her about anything regarding her life when they got divorced.


	7. Chapter 7

Mellie walked into the deli to grab lunch when she saw Isaac sitting at a table with another woman. She was pretty and very blonde. Mellie was furious. They had been dating for almost six months now, and they were even talking about moving in together. Isaac hadn't noticed Mellie walk in yet, so Mellie angrily walked over to his table. He told her that he was going to work through lunch today. Obviously, that was a lie.

"I see you aren't working through lunch," Mellie plastered on her brightest smile and turned to the blonde.

"Madam Vice President, it is an honor to meet you. I'm…" Mellie held up her hand to cut the stuttering girl off. Mellie smirked because the girl couldn't be any older than twenty-five, and she was clearly scared.

"Mellie, I'm sorry," He started to continue, but Mellie turned and walked away.

She was on her third glass of wine when she heard the front door open. It couldn't be anyone other than Isaac. She should've told her agents to keep him out. Mellie downed the rest of her glass before Isaac walked in.

"Do I have cheat on me written on my forehead? If I do, please tell me because this is just getting too damn old. Anything you've ever left here is in that box at the end of the stairs. Please take it, and get the hell out of my life."

"Mellie, can we talk about this?"

"No. I am done. Don't even try to tell me that nothing has happened with her because I saw you two holding hands, and the way you were looking at her said enough."

"I'm sorry."

"You're just sorry you got caught. I didn't realize being faithful to me was such a hard task."

"Mellie, you never gave me all of you. The only time you can truly be with someone is when you wake up and realize that you're still in love with your goddamn ex husband. Until then, you're never going to let anyone else in, and you won't have a successful relationship. I am so sorry. I was going to talk to you tomorrow night about us."

"Please shut the hell up, and walk your ass out of my life. I have one question before you go."

"Ask me anything, Mel."

"How long have you been seeing her? How many times were we having sex after you've seen her?"

"I met her two months ago, but nothing happened right away."

"Get out."

As Isaac left, Mellie slowly walked upstairs to her room. She was thankful that it wasn't one of her nights with Teddy. Mellie was supposed to pick him up tomorrow evening. Mellie got into bed and finally let herself cry. She wasn't madly in love with Isaac, but she thought everything was going great. She could see herself spending the rest of her life with him.

Mellie woke up when her alarm went off, but she didn't want to get up. She didn't want to go in today, but she had a job to do. She slowly got ready for the day. Walking to her office, she prayed that she wouldn't run into Isaac. She didn't have the energy for it.

She worked through lunch, checked her phone around three. She saw that she had a missed call from her best friend Addison. Addison was a neonatal surgeon and OBGYN in Los Angeles.

"Addie! I'm sorry I missed your call. I didn't even hear my phone ring."

"I figured. I was just calling to check in. How's everything with Isaac?" Mellie groaned with Addison mentioned his name.

"Do you have ESP or something? We broke up last night. He's been seeing someone else for about two months because apparently I'm still in love with Fitz, so I never gave him all of me."

"Mel, I'm so sorry. Why don't you come out here for a week or so? You can still be Vice President from the other side of the country. That's why there's technology."

"That sounds lovely. I may take you up on that. I'd have to make sure Fitz is okay with keeping Teddy for that long."

"Melody Grant, you're coming out here. Get on one of your jets or whatever, pack your bags, and get your ass out here."

"Yes, boss. I'll call you with my flight plans. "

Mellie arrived in Los Angeles the next afternoon. She walked off the plane and into her awaiting town car. She couldn't wait to see Addison. It had been much too long, and Mellie could use some time with her best friend. The car pulled into Addison's driveway, and Addison and her son Henry were waiting for her.

"Addie!" Mellie yelled and ran to her best friend.

"Mel!" Addison met her with open arms, and pulled Mellie into a hug.

"Henry, I've missed you! Teddy misses you too!"

"Hi, Auntie Mellie. I've missed you too! Where's Teddy?"

"He's at home with his dad this trip."

"Henry, why don't you go inside and play?" Henry did as he was asked, and Mellie and Addison were alone together.

"Addie, I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Come inside," Mellie followed Addison inside and looked around for Addison's husband Jake.

"Where's Jake?"

"He got paged about a half hour ago. He said to tell you hello. Now sit down, and talk to me," Mellie sat next to her, but before any words could come out, she started to cry.

"I'm not crying because I'm torn up about Isaac. I do miss him, but I think I miss having someone around more than I actually miss him. I'm crying because every man I've ever loved has cheated on me or turned out to not really give a shit about me."

"Mellie, it's not you. They just aren't man enough. You're too much of a woman for them. You don't need to lessen yourself for any man; you just need a man with big hands because you can be quite a handful sometimes."

"I know I'm crazy, Addison. "

"Honey, we're all crazy. A man just has to pick the amount of crazy he can deal with," Mellie laughed and leaned her head on Addison's shoulder.

"When did we get like this?"

"So pathetic?"

"I was going to say lonely, but that works too."

"Addison, you're married."

"Jake and I aren't doing that great."

"What's wrong?"

"One of us is always gone, and when we are home at the same time, he magically gets paged and has to go to the hospital. I feel like I live alone with Henry. We don't even have sex anymore; ever!"

"Addie, I'm so sorry, but promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't run to someone else like you did with Derek. I know you're lonely, and I know you miss that connection of being with someone, but don't do it. Please tell me you haven't already," Mellie knew the answer before Addison opened her mouth.

"I'm a cheater, Mellie. I've been pulling the same thing since high school; you know that. I don't know why, but I just do. I used to blame the Captain, but I can't keep blaming him for my mistakes. I can't blame Bizzy because I had no idea what was going on with her while I was growing up. I know I'm an awful person. I know what Fitz's cheating did to you, and what I did to Derek and everyone else I have ever cheated on."

"Addison Forbes Montgomery, you are not an awful person. We all do bad things. Don't forget that I cheated on my husband too."

"After he claimed he was in love with another woman, and he had been sleeping with her for years."

"I almost did years ago when Fitz was governor."

"You never told me that."

"Who did you sleep with?"

"It was almost a year ago, and I honestly can't talk about it right now, Mel," Mellie was going to push her for an answer, but as soon as she looked into Addison's eyes, she had her answer.

"Derek?" Addison nodded as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh Addie, I wouldn't have asked if I had known it would lead to you crying. It was when Richard flew you to Seattle, wasn't it?"

"Exactly three months before he died. I think a big part of me has always been in love with him. Even after I left and came here to start over. There's no use in me crying over this anymore."

"Addie, I went to his funeral with you. I know how badly it hurt then. I can only imagine how badly it might still hurt, so you go ahead and cry. I'll be the one that holds it together this time. I'll put you back together this time around. Just cry it out. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere," Addison put her head on Mellie's chest and broke down. Mellie whispered soothing words to her, and rubbed her back. Mellie now understood why Addison pushed for her to come out here. Mellie was too busy sulking in her own world of problems that she didn't realize Addison was drowning in hers.


End file.
